The Princess Crusade
by chelsealynncharters
Summary: Kikyo and Kagome are twin princesses, in absolute hatred with each other. When their father passes away, the sisters make a pact. The first princess to find a prince and wed, becomes the next ruler of their kingdom. If only their suitors would behave...
1. Prologue

_**The Princess Crusade**_

_Prologue _

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived two princesses; sisters who hated each other. Although they were identical twins, the only thing they had in common was their appearance. They did not share preferences or personalities. Kikyo was wiser, graceful, and always yearned to be the center of attention. Kagome was gentle but guarded, never allowing anyone to come too close, and her shy nature always posed a problem with trying to find her a suitor. That, and the fact that Kikyo incessantly sought after the men her sister favored.

Always in competition, each princess would try to outperform the other in various subjects and skills. Kikyo was an expert at archery, and their teachers had always favored her skill over Kagome's. But Kagome had the gift of song, and when she sang, she attracted everyone's attention, much to Kikyo's dismay. Both were fluent in their studies, but Kikyo always surpassed Kagome intellectually. For Kagome was more creative and had the hands of an artist, so textbooks never grabbed her attention.

The sisters were too different, and because of this, a bond was never formed between them. Eventually, as they grew older, their differences lead them to despise each other. Kagome hated her sister's vanity, Kikyo hated Kagome's purity, and no matter what anyone tried, those two refused to become friends. Even when their father grew ill, and begged them to reconcile before he passed, the girls remained rivals.

Kagome felt guilty about never granting her father's dying wish, but she just couldn't waver in what she firmly believed in. Her father had always been unaware of Kikyo's true identity, and most people were. Everyone saw her sister as a beautiful and strong woman, which she was, but Kagome knew the real Kikyo. The Kikyo that was incapable of compassion, who schemed and lied. What Kikyo hungered for was power, and Kagome knew she would stop at nothing to get it. Her sister was pure evil in a heavenly form.

It was shortly after the kings death, when the princesses realized they both would be up for the crown, did their rivalry reach a new level. For the king had not been blessed with a son, and so one of them was destined to become the ruler of their kingdom. But, since they were born twins, only seconds apart, it was tough to determine which sister should receive the title of queen. Although Kikyo seemed the obvious choice, it was unfair to Kagome to just be tossed aside. The kingdom would not rejoice over such an unfair decision.

And so, a pact was made between the girls and their family's royal advisors. The first princess to find a prince, and get married, would receive the crown and the responsibility of ruling the land. This seemed fair to both princesses, and they shook on it, both intending to be crowned queen.

Kikyo knew exactly where to look for her Prince Charming. Across the Shikon Marsh, past the Bone Eater's forest in the land of Myoga, there ruled a great King. It was said that his kingdom continued to grow on account of his eldest son's bravery. Now, Prince Sesshoumaru was an incredible warrior. Not only was he swift in the art of combat, but he was also wise in strategy. With his mighty Tensaiga at his side, his opponents were no match for him. Their land was his prize, and he never lost a battle.

The King had another son by the name of Inuyasha, but his skill did not match his brothers. Very few had actually met Prince Inuyasha, for he often hid in solitude, refusing to step outside of the castle. It was said that he resented his brother and his father, and his hatred was understandable. The King barely acknowledged his younger son; Sesshoumaru received all of his attention and praise. Their mother had died delivering Inuyasha, and some believed that the King blamed Inuyasha for the death of his wife. His punishment was cold, callous disdain.

So, with her eyes set on Prince Sesshoumaru of Myoga, Kikyo sent forth a messenger to his castle, inviting him to a royal banquet. No one knew of Kikyo's plans, not even her sister, and when the young prince rode into their kingdom, everyone was taken by surprise. Especially Kagome. But she too had a man in mind as her betrothed; Prince Hojo of Hiraikotsu. Hojo had been her friend for many years, and Kagome knew she could count on him now. Before her father's death, he had proposed marriage to her many a times, but Kagome always refused him.

Ever since she was a little girl, Kagome had longed for true love. The kind of love that only existed in fairy tales. She had never experienced that sort of feeling in all her seventeen years, but she was willing to forgo her dream of romance for the good of the kingdom. For even though Hojo had been a true friend, she did not love him. But Kagome realized, as she observed her sister decorating the great hall for Prince Sesshoumaru's arrival, some things were worth sacrificing.

Our story begins with the entrance of Prince Sesshoumaru. As Kikyo eagerly awaits him within the castle walls, Princess Kagome wanders the gardens, unaware that he is steadily approaching. She is in such a sincere state of happiness as she stops to smell the many flowers, that much time passes by. Eventually, she falls asleep in the grass near her mother's monument, only to be awoken by Prince Sesshoumaru himself.


	2. 1

_**The Princess Crusade**_

_Chapter 1 _

The sun hung high above the small kingdom of Renkotsu, and the town sparkled like diamonds against the sun's bright rays. Prince Sesshomaru was surprised by the glorious sight; he did not know Renkotsu contained such wealth. If he had, he would've visited the kingdom much sooner. But this was not the only reason why he was in such good spirits. The prince was pleased that the weather had been in his favor, for he did not like to travel in unpleasant conditions. Not only did he despise the rain, but he loathed the smell of wet horse. He patted Ah-Un gently as they trotted through the town, grateful for his horse's discipline. Various civilians stopped in their tracks to stare in awe at Sesshomaru's elaborate troupe, but he ignored them all, keeping his eyes fixed on the castle as they traveled along the winding path that lead up to it.

Prince Sesshomaru raised his brows at the magnificence of the castle. It was fairly large, positioned high on a hill, overlooking the small town below. There were vast gardens surrounding it, and a gigantic marble fountain spouted near the entrance. It was not as elaborate as his father's castle, but it would do. Sesshomaru grinned and rode Ah-Un up the bridge and into the main courtyard, where he quickly dismantled; his group following close behind him. Taking in his surroundings, Sesshomaru waited until Jaken, his most trusted servant, rode up.

Jaken hopped off of his horse as soon as he cleared the gateway, approaching the prince hastily. "My Lord, we have arrived at Renkotsu Castle," he informed him with a bow.

Sesshomaru frowned. "Your power of perception is astounding, Jaken." Reaching for Ah-Un's reins, he handed them to Jaken and added, "Here, take care of Ah-Un. I want to explore the grounds before heading inside."

Jaken took the reigns grimly. "Prince Sesshomaru, shouldn't we wait here for the castle guards? Or perhaps I should go with you?"

But the Prince had already started to walk off. Shaking his head at his servant's cautious nature, Sesshomaru paused and glanced back at Jaken. "Just stay here, Jaken. I will return soon."

. "But, Sire!" Jaken cried out warily. "Shouldn't we wait for Princess Kikyo?"

"No," Prince Sesshomaru said simply before walking out of the courtyard. He was headed in the direction of the gardens, and Jaken watched him leave nervously, wishing he were alongside him. He knew Sesshomaru well, and if his master told him to stay put, he would. There was no use in arguing with him, and he remembered what happened to him the first time he had disagreed with the prince. Jaken shivered at the memory. And so, he crossed his arms and held onto Ah-Un, waiting patiently until Sesshomaru returned.

Sesshomaru wandered the gardens aimlessly, with no purpose but to see all it had to offer. Various plant life blossomed within the gardens, all of which were very appealing, but Sesshomaru found that he had grown bored of the botanical sights. He intended on setting his eyes on the wealthy interior of Renkotsu Castle. That's where his true interest lied.

Just as he was about to turn around and head back, he caught sight of a large statue of a woman. Intrigued by it's singularity, Sesshomaru grew closer until he noticed that it was a memorial of a queen, and lying at it's base was a lovely young maiden. Sesshomaru had to catch his breath as he stared at the woman's beauty, for she was a sight to beheld. Long raven hair framed her delicate face, and her cheeks were pink with youth. Her lips were full, luscious, and rosy with color. She wore a lavender gown decorated with gold accents, and it fit her body nicely; her shoulders were bare of material. But it was when Sesshomaru noticed the small, jewel encrusted crown that sat atop her head, that his interest in her grew drastically.

Could it be Princess Kikyo? Kneeling down at her side, he tried to resist the urge to touch her. He lost the battle with himself as he allowed his right hand to trace along her jaw. Sesshomaru frowned, unsure of his actions. He had never felt this way about a woman before. Usually, women were just objects to him. When he wanted one, he got one. That was all. But this lady at his feet was different. She was breathtaking. It seemed as if he couldn't control himself as he let a finger slip off of her jaw and down her heaving chest, his eyes hardening as his index finger slipped in-between her breasts.

The woman uttered a sigh, and Sesshomaru quickly removed his finger, embarrassed by his careless actions. He raked a hand through his black hair and frowned, still entranced by the woman's beauty. Squeezing his eyes shut, Sesshomaru tried to force himself to stand up and walk away from her. But, he realized he couldn't just leave her royal highness out in the gardens all alone. Any passerby could come and try to take advantage of her.

Reaching his arm out towards her once again, Prince Sesshomaru placed his hand upon her bare shoulder and shook her gently. He kept this up until the princess stirred, and when she opened her eyes, he finally ceased shaking her.

Princess Kagome yawned as she came to, feeling uneasy from being continuously shaken. When she finally opened her brown eyes, she found Sesshomaru crouched over her, his face only inches from her own. Kagome gasped from shock and edged backwards, frightened by his presence.

After finding her voice, Kagome asked anxiously, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Sesshomaru stood swiftly and bowed. "Princess Kikyo, it is I, Prince Sesshomaru of Myoga."

Kagome rose her brows as she got a closer look at the Prince. She was stunned to find that he was very charming, handsome in fact. More handsome than she assumed he would be. Donned in a crisp blue velvet vest and black trousers, the prince appeared to be very wealthy indeed. And by the sight of how clean his hands were, she believed him to be of royalty. But it was his eyes that captivated her most. Hazel eyes flecked with gold. They were beautiful yet unreal.

Rising to her feet timidly, Kagome curtsied and replied, "I see. You are in fact, Prince Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru smiled. "Forgive my manners, Princess. But when I saw you lying there, all alone, I felt compelled to wake you. I feared for your safety, Princess Kikyo. A beauty such as you ,should be guarded at all times."

Kagome blushed from his compliment and glanced away. Then it dawned on her. He thought she was Kikyo! Giving him the widest grin she could muster, Kagome said, "I'm sorry, Sire, but I am not Princess Kikyo." She smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress as she maneuvered past him, leaving him at a loss for words.

Sesshomaru frowned and watched her retreat, confused by her admission. If she was not Princess Kikyo, then who was she? Turning around promptly, Prince Sesshomaru hurried after her, intent on finding out her identity. When he finally caught up with her, he asked, "If you are not the Princess, then who are you? You're wearing a crown, and I can tell that you are of noble blood. Are you perhaps a relative of some sorts?"

Kagome kept her eyes straight ahead as she replied, "I am Kikyo's twin sister, Kagome."

Prince Sesshomaru's eyebrows rose in surprise. "She didn't tell me she had a sister, let alone a twin."

Kagome smirked. "Of course she didn't." She lead him back into the court yard, where she noticed his troupe standing around, awaiting his return.

"I see you've brought quite the entourage," Kagome said to Sesshomaru, nodding at his servants as she walked past. They all quickly fell to their knees at the sight of her.

"Of course. I plan on staying here for some time, so I must have enough help for the remainder of my visit." He told her.

"I see." Kagome mumbled.

Sesshomaru was relentless as he followed her up the steps and into the castle. Kagome was confused by his behavior. Was he not here to visit her sister? He should be out looking for Kikyo, not following her around. What would the servants think? Kagome frowned, eager to outrun the dashing prince. If Kikyo caught her alone with him, she knew she would be in big trouble.

"What's the rush, Princess?" Sesshomaru asked her curiously. "You seem keen on evading me. Why is that? Have I done anything to offend you?"

Kagome halted near the main staircase. "I am not trying to evade you," She lied. "I simply have things that I must attend to. As do you, Prince Sesshomaru. My sister is most likely awaiting you in the Great Hall. It's right over there." Kagome pointed over towards two large mahogany doors to the right of them. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" After quickly curtsying, Kagome hurried up the stairs, never looking back at the man her sister intended to marry.

Sesshomaru watched her ascend the stairs, completely fascinated by her behavior. She was not like many women he had met before; she hadn't groveled at his feet the way most women did when they met him. It was sort of refreshing, and he wondered if Kikyo would behave the same. But after recalling her letter, he knew, regrettably, that she would not.

Prince Sesshomaru, disappointed that Kagome had cleverly escaped him, frowned and turned around, wandering back in the direction of the court yard, where Jaken and his other servants awaited him. He thought more of Kagome as he strolled over towards his ensemble, wondering when he would get to see her again. Recalling the smooth texture of her skin, he prayed that the moment would come soon.

Jaken hurried towards him. "Sire! Have you found the Princess?"

"One of them," he replied shortly.

Frowning, Jaken asked, "What do you mean? There's more than one?"

"Apparently." Prince Sesshomaru grumbled. "Now, I must go into the Great Hall and meet with Princess Kikyo. You stay here with the others. I'm sure the Princess will send for some one to show you to our chambers."

Jaken nodded, "Alright, My Lord."

Sesshomaru sighed and walked back into the castle, heading over towards the door Kagome had pointed out. He noticed how intricate the design on the wooden doors were; carved lords and ladies brushed with solid gold stared back at him. And then, once again, his eyes were back on the prize, which was the Renkotsu fortune. Prince Sesshomaru forgot all about Kagome as he opened the extravagant doors and headed into the Great Hall, where he would meet his future bride.


End file.
